


tough to be a bug

by kareofbears



Series: Escapril [19]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Gen, M/M, but only for like three seconds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:28:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23739877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kareofbears/pseuds/kareofbears
Summary: They were the Phantom Thieves, bringer of hope and destroyer of distorted desires. But when someone threatens their leader in broad daylight, right smack in the middle of Shibuya rush hour, they’re nothing more than scared teenagers.
Relationships: Kurusu Akira/Sakamoto Ryuji
Series: Escapril [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1685116
Comments: 11
Kudos: 94





	tough to be a bug

**Author's Note:**

> this is definitely an "i wanted to write this but no one will want to read this" kind of fic

If Ryuji had known, he would’ve said yes to any of the options his friends presented him.

“Movies.”

“Ugh, _again?_ Karaoke!”

“Fishing!”

“You’re joking.”

“Fishing may lead to dinner, if they allow us to take home our earnings.”

“Yusuke, it’s okay, I’ll pay for you.”

“Thank you Akira, I am forever in your debt.”

“You having a debt is exactly what I don’t want.”

“How about the jazz club?”

“Are we thirty, or douchebags? Or thirty year old douchebags? Next.”

But no. Everything that led to this moment was a byproduct of who he grew up to be, and the result is that he screwed up. Don’t let the others know that he still thinks that, though.

“We’re getting _nowhere!_ ” Morgana hollers from his perch on Ann’s shoulder. “Let’s just walk around and see if we like something!” 

There’s a mummer of agreement, and they all started walking aimlessly around the streets of Shibuya, chatting animatedly with one another. 

It’s fun, Ryuji remembers thinking. It’s fun to be with his friends, at Akira’s side, hands close enough to his that he can feel the heat radiating off of it. It’s exhilarating to know that if he wants, he can close the gap between them, and Akira would squeeze his hand back. 

Maybe it’s so fun, maybe he was so happy, that he didn’t realize what was happening before it was too late. 

He half wonders if it was Akira’s third eye, or just his natural instincts as the first Persona user in their group, or if it’s just his general quick reaction time, but whatever it was, it was enough to save Ryuji’s life. 

One minute, Ryuji was laughing at whatever Ann said, and the next, Akira shoved him out of the way, only to stand between him, and a gun pointed straight to his head, unblinking. 

For half a second, Ryuji was taken back to Futaba’s room, watching Akechi pressing a gun to Akira’s forehead, before pulling the trigger. 

Ryuji froze. 

“Akira…?” Yusuke asks, his eyes unnaturally wide.

“Nobody move,” the man says. Ryuji absentmindedly feels his legs shake, unable to stop. He opens his mouth to yell, scream, get pissed off, but nothing comes out. Instead, he hears a strange, choked noise. It takes him a second to realize it came from him. 

“Stand back,” Akira directs, completely serious. “Call the police.”

“Yeah, right,” the stranger says, his voice low and dangerous. “Like I’d let you do something like that.”

Somewhere on his right, he hears Ann whimpering, with Morgana’s tail nervously swishing from side to side. 

“One wrong move,” The man sneers. “And glasses kid here is dead.”

And before anyone can move, anyone can breathe, anyone can think, someone behind the man steps on a twig. 

It snaps. 

They were the Phantom Thieves, bringer of hope and destroyer of distorted desires. But when someone threatens their leader in broad daylight, right smack in the middle of Shibuya rush hour, they’re nothing more than scared teenagers. 

A bullet rings out.

Akira starts bleeding, but Ryuji’s the first one to drop to his knees.

**Author's Note:**

> the idea of this is just so strong in my head and i do not know why but if you actually ended up finishing this, thanks! kudos to you! hope you're havin a good ol day


End file.
